search articles:     from the issue of August 18, 2005         Durham gift to forge school of architectural engineering and construction in Omaha A major commitment from Omaha civic leader Charles W. Durham and the Durham Foundation has created a new school of architectural engineering and construction. The school will be housed at NU's Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology and Engineering in Omaha. In recognition of the support, NU President James B. Milliken announced that the university has named the school the Charles W. Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction. "Chuck has enjoyed a remarkable professional career, and he has been one of the university's most generous benefactors," Milliken said. "He has created opportunities for students and faculty, the city of Omaha and the state of Nebraska that simply would never have been possible without his generosity. It is an honor to name this innovative new school for Chuck Durham." Plans to create the new school were approved by the regents in December 2003. The school provides new structure for three existing programs - architectural engineering and construction engineering in Omaha and construction management in Lincoln. The reorganization creates an academic setting focused on all facets of building design and construction, and allows for close affiliation with the PKI-based civil engineering program. Only two other universities have programs that share similarities with the Durham School. Those are the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University in Tempe and the M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The Durham School is expected to be the premier school of its kind. It is also the only academic program to combine all elements of the built environment. Once fully reorganized, the school will have nearly 30 faculty members who teach at both PKI in Omaha and at UNL. There were 655 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled within the school's three affiliated academic programs during the last school year. The school plans to add a construction engineering major this fall. The university is conducting a search for a director of the new school. The University of Nebraska Foundation has a goal of raising $30 million to support the new school. The lead gift from the Durham Foundation has stimulated interest iand has helped realize nine other gift commitments, bringing the total raised to date for the initiative to $23 million. While the amount was not disclosed at the request of the Durham Foundation, the gift represents a significant portion of the goal. GO TO: ISSUE OF AUGUST 18 NEWS HEADLINES FOR AUGUST 18 Students roll back to campus CBA chair selected for beltway post UNL takes lead in Antarctica drilling project Dissertation travels down roadways of commuting wives Durham gift to forge school of architectural engineering and construction in Omaha External research dollars hit record level Food Processing Center Hosts Congressmen FROM THE ARCHIVES New tool monitors drought impact nationwide Technical ag college to offer new degree Tommy Lee Goes to College premiers UNL, iDiverse to develop stress resistant crops UNL lands $2 million grant for international physics experiment UNL, World-Herald program shares skills, ideas 732176S34830X